Charter schools in the Greater Houston area have seen a significant increase in enrollment for the 2022-23 school year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. The numbers show that thousands of students have transferred from public school districts to charter schools, with Houston ISD and Alief ISD experiencing the biggest enrollment losses.
The data, analyzed by Community Impact, reveals that Houston ISD had 51,138 net transfers out, followed by Alief ISD with 9,196, Fort Bend ISD with 7,645, Cy-Fair ISD with 5,576, and Aldine ISD with 5,413. These numbers account for both students transferring into and out of each school district.
When looking at the percentage of students transferring out as a portion of total enrollment, Houston ISD and Alief ISD remained at the top with 28% and 23% of students transferring out, respectively. Other districts with high percentages of net student transfers included La Porte ISD, Spring ISD, and Fort Bend ISD.
While some districts lost students to other independent school districts, charter schools were a significant draw in the region. Kipp Texas Public Schools, Yes Prep Public Schools Inc., Harmony Public Schools, Houston Gateway Academy Inc., and Baker Ripley Community Schools were among the charter schools with the highest number of transfers in.
It is important to note that TEA does not track the number of students who transfer out of ISDs for private schools or homeschooling.
For more information or to view the TEA’s transfer reports, visit the Texas Education Agency website. This data sheds light on the changing landscape of education in the Greater Houston area and highlights the increasing popularity of charter schools among students and families.
This article was originally published by our ABC13 partners at Community Impact Newspapers.